THE giant blades of wind turbines stationed on a hilltop near Ruthin have started to generate energy for the first time.

Work to build the 96-megawatt onshore windfarm in Clocaenog Forest, which began in April last year, has already seen 16 turbines constructed which have now been put into operation.

There will be 27 turbines in total, capable of powering 63,800 average UK homes annually once the work is completed by the end of the year.

Innogy Renewables, the German renewable energy giant, appointed Ruthin firm Jones Bros Civil Engineering to build the windfarm in a £20million contract. Foundation pours for the turbines were completed by December last year and the delivery and assembly of the turbines took place from January.

The V105 Vestas turbines, which have a rotor size of 105 metres, were delivered in 136 convoys from Ellesmere Port and along the A5 to Clocaenog. The last components arrived at the windfarm site on July 26.

A spokesperson for Collett & Sons, the heavy load delivery specialists, said: “Through the snow of January, the storms of February and the record-breaking heat of July, Collett methodically delivered each of the components.”

The plan for the forest site, owned by the Welsh Government and managed by Natural Resources Wales, was submitted by Innogy in 2009. It was met with concerns from Denbighshire County Council, Chris Ruane, MP for the Vale of Clwyd and protest group Clocaenog Against Wind Turbines regarding noise disturbance and environmental damage caused by overhead cables.

The plan was eventually approved by UK energy secretary Ed Davey in 2014.

Andy Clayton, Innogy project manager for the Clocaenog Forest Wind Farm Project, said: “Despite challenging conditions at times, we now have 16 turbines erected and the recent achievement of first generation is a testament to the team’s hard work.

“I’d like to say a big thank you to the local communities and the police for their support and patience throughout the process.”

While energy from the turbines will be going to the national grid and not directly to surrounding homes, there will be a community fund worth about £760,000 annually over the next 25 years for North Wales towns and villages.

Innogy said it is in the process of appointing an organisation to administer the community fund, to be announced in the autumn.

For more information on the project, visit www.innogy.com/clocaenogforest